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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26949682">Strong and Steady</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twice_before_Friday/pseuds/Twice_before_Friday'>Twice_before_Friday</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>October? No, I think you mean Whumptober [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Prodigal Son (TV 2019)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Beating, Gen, Major Character Injury, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:07:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,337</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26949682</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twice_before_Friday/pseuds/Twice_before_Friday</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt No 11. PSYCH 101<br/>Defiance | <span class="u">Struggling</span> | <span class="u">Crying</span></p><p>Malcolm listens to their conversation as his eyes roam along the wall opposite the door, a vague feeling of unease settling deep in his gut, though he can't quite put his finger on why. Something isn't sitting right, though, and he's learned to trust that instinct. It's as he's making his way to the counter that everything goes wrong.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gil Arroyo &amp; Malcolm Bright</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>October? No, I think you mean Whumptober [11]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>63</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Whumptober 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Strong and Steady</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Everything happens so damn fast that Malcolm can't even pinpoint exactly when things went sideways. </p><p>The team was following a lead — a run down strip mall with businesses that can't possibly be pulling in the amount of money they seem to be. Major crimes has suspected it's a front for some sort of illegal activity for a while, but only finally had enough proof to justify a warrant.</p><p>Only two of the shops in the row of six businesses are currently open, so they decide to split up. JT and Dani take the laundromat, Malcolm and Gil head for the bodega that seems even smaller on the inside than it does from the street, with its overstuffed shelves crammed with everything a person could need as well as everything no one could possibly ever want.</p><p>A shared look as they walk in has Malcolm slowly wandering up and down the three narrow aisles, scoping out the store while Gil goes to talk with the shifty-looking man at the counter.</p><p>Malcolm listens to their conversation as his eyes roam along the wall opposite the door, a vague feeling of unease settling deep in his gut, though he can't quite put his finger on why. Something isn't sitting right, though, and he's learned to trust that instinct. It's as he's making his way to the counter that everything goes wrong. </p><p>Two men walk in the front door, their eyes darting from the man behind the desk to Gil (who still has his badge resting on the formica countertop) to Malcolm.</p><p>He can tell by the way Gil's shoulders tense that his cop instincts are warning him of potential danger, but before Malcolm can speak up the men make their move. The shifty guy behind the counter hits a hidden button on the wall, while the other two rush for Gil. Malcolm runs forward, throwing himself at one of the men but almost immediately three more men appear out of nowhere, and strong hands are yanking him back.</p><p>It's only as he and Gil are being dragged through a hidden door behind a unit of laundry detergent and household cleaners that Malcolm understands what felt off about the space. It's a <em>literal</em> front for some sort of criminal enterprise.</p><p>They're dragged down a narrow hallway to a flight of stairs that leads down beneath the shops and if he's right, they're heading directly below the laundromat. Malcolm takes a fist to the face as he shouts for help, hoping JT and Dani might hear them, and by the time his world stops spinning they're in a surprisingly spacious room, a handful of tables and chairs set up in the middle with a bar at one end.</p><p>And two more men that push to their feet at their entrance.</p><p>Two of their captors move the tables to the side while the others keep a firm hold of Gil and Malcolm as they struggle against the hands that are restraining them. It's futile though. They're outnumbered eight to two, and at least four of their captors are enforcer-types — all muscle and force and intimidation.</p><p>While Malcolm is, more often than not, one of the smallest people in the room, he's always prided himself on his strength and his skill. But his martial arts training won't do him much good if he can't even break free from the vice-like grip of the man currently holding him. The guy is easily a head taller than Malcolm and probably has a hundred pounds of pure muscle on him, too.</p><p>It doesn't help that his head is still spinning from the right hook that connected hard with his jaw a moment ago. Which is why it takes him a moment to notice that the head of this operation is calmly asking Gil what the police know.</p><p>"Enough that we didn't come alone," Gil says, his tone equally measured. "I'd suggest you let us walk out of here before things become any more serious than they already are."</p><p>The man looks at Gil for a moment then turns to the beast of a man on his left. "Make him talk."</p><p>The two men holding Gil tighten their grip at the same time as a meaty fist impacts his stomach, diving the air from his lungs with a pained groan, and Malcolm can tell he'd be doubled over if it weren't for the strong hands holding him up.</p><p>There's no pause, no chance for Gil to catch his breath. The man comes at him swinging, alternating body shots with punches to the face that send droplets of blood splattering across the room.</p><p>"Stop!" Malcolm shouts, trying to throw himself to Gil's aid, but the goon holding onto him tugs him into a vicious bear hug, pinning his arms to his side and squeezing so hard that Malcolm can't even suck in a full breath.</p><p>It doesn't stop him from screaming, though.</p><p>"Fuck! Stop!" Malcolm shouts as Gil is hit so hard that one of his teeth goes flying and blood gushes from his mouth and spills down his chin. More concerning is the way Gil's eyes roll back after the hit, his head lolling on his shoulders.</p><p>The man switches back to body shots after that, likely realizing that Gil can't talk if he's unconscious. </p><p>Or dead.</p><p>Malcolm's thrashes and kicks his feet back, heels making harsh contact with his captor's shins, but it seems to be little more than a minor irritant to the man, who just squeezes him harder as he struggles to get free, to stop them from killing the man who is like a father to him.</p><p>"I'll tell you what you want to know!" Malcolm pleads around the tears that begin to stream down his cheeks as the men holding Gil let him drop to the ground, clearly understanding that he's no longer a threat. Gil hits the ground hard, not even attempting to break his fall.</p><p>"Gil," Malcolm sobs, struggling for breath as much as he's struggling for freedom, the tears flowing even harder when Gil doesn't even react to the boot that slams into his side.</p><p>"Talk," the leader says, walking casually over to Malcolm, entirely ignoring Gil's battered and bloody body on the floor. "How much do you know."</p><p>Malcolm plays up the fact that he can barely breathe until the leader signals to the thug holding him to ease his grip, allowing him to finally suck in a deep breath and give him enough room that he knows he can slip his arms free of the man's crushing grip.</p><p>And then Malcolm loses his shit.</p><p>He jerks his arm free with enough force to shatter the man's nose when his elbow meets his face, blood gushing all over Malcolm before he has a chance to pull away. He breaks free from the grip and jabs the leader hard in the throat, taking him down in one shot as he splutters and gasps for air on the ground.</p><p>He manages one more hit, on the fucker that beat the hell out of Gil, before the shock wears off and the men come after him, but then shouts of, "NYPD! Put your hands in the air!" fill the room, and the men reluctantly back away, following Dani and JT's instructions to move against the back wall and get down on their knees.</p><p>Malcolm couldn't care less about them, dropping to the floor next to Gil and reaching out with a trembling hand to feel for a pulse.</p><p>Strong and steady, like the man himself. </p><p>Malcolm's shoulders shake as he weeps in relief, only calming when Gil opens one eye — no more than a slit with how swollen his face is — and slowly moves a hand to wrap around Malcolm's.</p><p>He knows this touch. Since the first time Gil laid his hand on the back of Malcolm's neck over twenty years ago, Malcolm has recognized it for exactly what Gil is saying with the simple gesture.</p><p>Everything is going to be okay.</p>
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